From 4afa6a35e27553826fee4f871e033bdc0ca0e908 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: smathis <stefan.mathis@psi.ch>
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:48:51 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Separated IOC startup from running tests

---
 ioc/st.cmd                         |  2 +-
 ioc/startioc                       | 12 ------------
 ioc/{pystartioc.py => startioc.py} | 27 +++++++++++++++++++++------
 maketestenv                        |  0
 tests/conftest.py                  | 22 +++-------------------
 5 files changed, 25 insertions(+), 38 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100755 ioc/startioc
 rename ioc/{pystartioc.py => startioc.py} (65%)
 mode change 100644 => 100755 maketestenv

diff --git a/ioc/st.cmd b/ioc/st.cmd
index 7cd36c8..1803999 100755
--- a/ioc/st.cmd
+++ b/ioc/st.cmd
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ require masterMacs, $(MASTERMACS_VERSION)
 # Motors
 
 # Initialize the motors itself
-< motors/turboPmac1.cmd
+#< motors/turboPmac1.cmd
 #< motors/masterMacs1.cmd
 
 # Create the test record which is used to detect if the IOC is running
diff --git a/ioc/startioc b/ioc/startioc
deleted file mode 100755
index 814fa6d..0000000
--- a/ioc/startioc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-export EPICS_BASE=/usr/local/epics/base-7.0.7
-export EPICS_HOST_ARCH=RHEL8-x86_64
-
-# Get the full directory path of the script
-SCRIPT_DIR=$(dirname "$(realpath "$0")")
-
-# Needed so st.cmd finds other .cmd files
-cd "$SCRIPT_DIR" || exit 1
-
-# Run the IOC shell script
-st.cmd
diff --git a/ioc/pystartioc.py b/ioc/startioc.py
similarity index 65%
rename from ioc/pystartioc.py
rename to ioc/startioc.py
index d20923e..678fed0 100755
--- a/ioc/pystartioc.py
+++ b/ioc/startioc.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 import yaml
 import os
 import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
 
 def startioc():
@@ -38,14 +40,27 @@ def startioc():
         out.write(
             f'epicsEnvSet("MASTERMACS1_PORT", "{config["controllers"]["masterMacs1"]["port"]}")\n')
 
-    # Start the IOC itself and keep it running in the background.
-    # We need to start a new session so Pytest doesn't kill the process
-    proc = subprocess.Popen([root_dir + 'ioc/startioc'], start_new_session=True)
+    # Set environment variables
+    os.environ["EPICS_BASE"] = "/usr/local/epics/base-7.0.7"
+    os.environ["EPICS_HOST_ARCH"] = "RHEL8-x86_64"
 
-    print(f"Started IOC with PID {proc.pid}")
+    # Get the full directory path of the script
+    script_dir = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
+
+    # Change working directory so st.cmd can find other .cmd files
+    os.chdir(script_dir)
+
+    print("Current working directory:", os.getcwd())
+    print("Script directory:", script_dir)
+    print("Files in directory:", os.listdir())
+
+   # Run the IOC shell script
+    try:
+        subprocess.run(["/usr/local/bin/iocsh", "st.cmd"], check=True)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        print(f"Failed to start IOC: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(e.returncode)
 
-    # Yield control back to the test
-    # yield
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     startioc()
diff --git a/maketestenv b/maketestenv
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index ca0b9fd..a25a02c 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1,24 +1,21 @@
 import time
 
 from caproto.sync.client import read, write
-from ioc.pystartioc import startioc
 import pytest
 
 from common import read_config
 
-TIMEOUT_IOC_STARTUP = 10
 TIMEOUT_READ = 2
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
-def prepare_ioc():
+def check_ioc_running():
 
     config = read_config()
     pvprefix = config['pvprefix']
 
     """
-    This function checks if the test IOC is already running and attempts to
-    start it, if that is not the case.
+    This function checks if the test IOC is already running.
     """
     try:
         read(f'{pvprefix}:IOCREADY', timeout=TIMEOUT_READ)
@@ -27,18 +24,5 @@ def prepare_ioc():
         # is running
         return
     except TimeoutError:
-        # Received a timeout error -> Start the IOC
-        startioc()
-
-        # Check periodically if the IOC started successfully
-        now = time.time()
-        while now + TIMEOUT_IOC_STARTUP > time.time():
-            try:
-                read(f'{pvprefix}:IOCREADY', timeout=TIMEOUT_READ)
-                return
-            except TimeoutError:
-                time.sleep(0.5)
-
         # IOC startup failed in the given time -> Raise an error
-        raise TimeoutError(
-            f'Starting the IOC within {TIMEOUT_IOC_STARTUP} seconds failed.')
+        raise Exception('Start the test IOC first ()')